I am available for deliveries, also known as on-water relocation, from Spring through Fall - weather permitting. I am very
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I teach people how to drive boats. I teach boat handling and safety, but not just classroom stuff. I teach
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Before you buy a boat of any size, it's extremely important to have the boat surveyed by an experienced marine
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Yep, that's a mouthful. What does it mean? Short version - You want to buy a boat - I will
Read MoreI am an experienced USCG 100GT Captain for hire as a private yacht or day captain, or for deliveries, surveys, boat or yacht driving lessons, and boat or yacht purchase guidance, assistance, and oversight. I hold Master designations for both Great Lakes and Near Coastal applications. I have more than 40 years of experience on the Great Lakes, Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, and inland rivers running vessels up to 150 feet in length. I have been the Chief Engineer on a 130-foot research and salvage vessel, captain of a sunset cruise, and driver for two offshore powerboat racing teams. I am also an experienced marine technician and a certified diver. I am currently the private captain of two 70-foot yachts in West Michigan, and I regularly operate each for their owners during the summer season. I've been teaching people
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I recently finished writing a book on spring launch and all of the things you need to check to ensure a great season on the water. The book is now for sale on the storefront page so if you’d like some great advice, or to learn something new, please check it out. There are a million things that can…
For small boats, it’s all about fun. Whether you’re out for the day on a small lake or the open ocean, activities like fishing, tubing, and wakeboarding are usually the reason for leaving the dock. For the shipping industry, the job is the focus. Getting a thousand-foot ship full of products from port to port across thousands of miles…
Recently, I’ve had quite a few people tell me how helpful they found my website to be. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that – I love to help new boaters get the lines off and the props turning. As always, the Number One goal is to return to the dock with no one bleeding, nothing on…
I’ve been teaching new boaters, or boaters who have moved from small to large, or from a single-engine to twins, how to better and more safely operate their vessels for close to 20 years. Which is actually close to half of the total time I have spent on this planet messing about in boats. Close, but not quite half….
Winter is boat show season, a time when boater’s dreams drift off to the new models, accessory upgrades, and fun new toys hitting the market before the upcoming season. It’s also a time when many boaters consider their current boat, and dream of trading up to a larger boat. Or down to a smaller one. Or across from sail…
I get to work on and play with so many boats throughout the summer that I end up taking a predictable approach to my own projects. As the old saying goes – The plumber’s pipes leak. At the end of the day, everyone else’s projects have been prioritized and my own tasks get knocked down the list. Next weekend,…
It seems like spring launch is so far away it’s not worth thinking about. But, is that really true? Another boater recently posted on Facebook, “Only 20 Fridays until Boating Season.” Well, when you look at it that way, CRAP. I’ve got a lot to do. I had an easy summer season this year. After my big repair last…
I’m back, back in the water again. Boat went in the water on April 9th – since then it has snowed twice, and been blowing hard enough to need extra dock lines to keep the boat and pilings from merging into one object. So, it begins. I don’t have much work to do aside from basic cleanup, but this…
Boating season is over for 2018, but that doesn’t mean we can’t keep playing with our toys. There are endless winter projects that can keep us busy and there’s no time like the present to get started. This year, I have to make up for the fact that the last two I was a little lazy. Not overall, just…
This article recently ran on the front page of The Weather Channel’s website – https://weather.com/news/weather/news/rip-current-great-lakes-deaths It’s one more reason to respect Lake Michigan.